Airplane-fuselage construction



' Ja n. 5,1926. I I 1,568,087

J. A. ROCHE AIRPLANE FUSELAGE' CONSTRUCT ION Filed April 18, 1924 INVENTOR (faanAJBoc/zo' B) W A TTORNEY are assumed by a plurality PatentedJan, 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES I 1,568,087- PATENT OFFICE.

JEAN A. ROCHE, or DAYTON, 01110.

AIBPLANE-FUSELAGE consrrwcrrou.

Application filed April 18, 1924. Serial No. 707,381.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEAN A. RooHIi, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, in' the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain newand useful Improvements in Airplane-FuselageConstructions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fuselage. constructions forairplanes, and is especially concerned with the provision of asimplified construction resisting compression, tension, bending, andtorsion loads.

' The principal object of the,invention 1s to provide a fuselageconstruction dispensing with the usual elaborate heavy framework, andutilizing upper and lower main longrons joined to criss-cross struts forassuming compression and tension loads, and having tensioned stay wiresextending about the frame-work to assume the loads which tend to bend ortwist the framework.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the tailend of a fuselage shown devoidof covering in order to disclose the construction of the framework.

Fig, 2 is an isolated viewj'of one of the criss-cross struts used in theconstruction.

The present fuselage construction comprises two main longrons and 11joined by fittings 12 to the upper and lower ends of vertical struts 13.The vertical struts 13 have horizontal struts 14 secured by suitablefittings 15 intermediate their ends. The horizontal struts are joined tosecondary or auxiliary longrons 15 at the sides of the framework byfittings 16. The members thus far mentioned assume compression and ten--sion loads. The torsionand bending'loads ofstay wires 17 turn buckleswhich are tensloned suitab y by .18. The stays 17 itwill be noted,extend from the junction of a vertical strut 13 at one station witheither of the longrons 10 or 11 diagonally past an intermedlate stationto the junction at the next station of a vertical strut 13 with theother longron. To clarify this point, the two portions of a continuouswire extending, in the manner above stated, are lettered A and anotherwire extending criss-cross to the first wire and connected in a, similarmanner is lettered B in the drawing. The wires 'cris's-crossat their midpoint at the junction of a horizontal strut 14 and auxiliary orsecondary longron 15. Any stramaxially or transversely of the framework1s assumed by the stays 17 so that a very sturdy construction isafforded despite the fact that a very small number of parts are used ascompared with the usual fuselage frame construction.

The stabilizer 19 and tail fin 20 together with the elevator 21 andrudder 22 are con- Vemently mounted on the end of the longron 10 and theVertical strut .13 at the outer end of the framework. This portion 7 ofthe construction however forms no part of the presentiinvention. Ifdesired, fairing strips to give form to the fuselage may be suppliedbetween the longrons in a manner well understood in the art.

I claim:

1. In an aircraft'construction, a plurality of criss-cross struts,longitudinal members joined to said struts, and stays extendingdiagonally from the junction of a strut and longitudinal member at onestation, to the unction with another longitudinal member at anotherstation of a strut transverse with respect to the last mentioned strut.

2. In-a fuselage construction for airplanes, and upper and lower mainlongron, vertical struts joined thereto, horizontal struts joined 8 saidvertical struts, secondary longrons joined to the horizontal struts, anda stay extending from the junction at one station of a vertical strutand longron, past an interme diate station to the junction at the nextstation of a vertical strut and longron, and 105 i I engaging thehorizontal strut of the intermediate station at its junction with alongron.

4. In an airplane fuselage construction,

an upper and lower longron, vertical struts joined'to the horizontalstruts, and tensioned stay wires extending in crisscross relation fromthe junhtion at opposite ends of a vertical strut with the two mainlongrons, past an'intermediate station to the next station to thejunction at opposite ends of the vertical strut there with the two mainlongrons, said stays engaging at the points of crossing at thejunctionof the horizontal strut of the intermediate secondary longrons.

5. In an airplane fuselage, an upper and lower longron and strutsextending verti- 15 cally between the same for compression and. tensionloads, transverse members on'said struts and tensioning means extendingbetween said members and said struts and longrons for torsion andbending loads.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JEAN A. ROCHE.

station with the

